BizWeekly 1/21/2014
Nelson’s Contract Not Renewed by CA Board
After serving five years as the organization’s president, the Columbia Association (CA) board has announced that Phil Nelson’s contract has not been renewed. He will be leaving CA, effective April 30.
In a statement, CA stated that “Phil has served CA well, bringing a focus on planning, both near-term and long. During Phil’s tenure, CA has accomplished a number of important things, including the production of the aquatics, bike/pathway and Inner Arbor plans; the replacement of the Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club Clubhouse; and creation of Haven on the Lake and [the] Inspire Columbia web site.”
Nelson was hired as president of CA in May 2009 after having served as city manager in the Detroit suburb of Troy, Mich., on a two-year contract, following the death of his predecessor, Maggie Brown. In 2011, he was granted an extension through May 2014.
The CA board has begun a search for Nelson’s replacement and has retained the executive search firm of DHR Inc. to assist in this endeavor, which it anticipates completing by April 30.
GP Strategies to Acquire the Effective-People and Effective-Learning Companies
Global performance improvement solutions provider GP Strategies Corp., of Elkridge, and Effective Companies A/S of Copenhagen, Denmark, have entered into a letter of intent. The letter calls for GP Strategies to acquire Effective Companies’ Effective-People and Effective-Learning units.
Both companies are providers of human capital management (HCM) solutions, including sales and support of the SuccessFactors Business Execution (BizX) platform, e-learning and blended learning solutions, as well as recruitment and employee development services.
This acquisition will strengthen GP Strategies’ ability to deliver comprehensive HCM services across its diverse, global customer base. The parties anticipate that the transaction will close by mid-March.
“GP Strategies’ strength is in the HCM talent solutions areas of learning and performance,” said GP Strategies CEO Scott Greenberg. “The addition of the Effective-Companies and their experienced staff will provide our customers with additional strategic and technical solutions around core human resource [HR] products and services, including the HCM areas of recruiting, onboarding, compensation, succession planning and HR analytics.”
ITnova Becomes Newest Residential Member of the CIC
The Chesapeake Innovation Center (CIC) has announced that ITnova LLC has joined Anne Arundel County’s technology business incubator, a program of the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corp., as its newest resident member.
A woman-owned, minority business, ITnova provides information technology (IT) consulting services for the cloud and application environments, and has been developing innovative mobile solutions for the health care and biometrics industries. In addition to creating mobile solutions for people with Alzheimer’s, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and similar neurological conditions, ITnova has initiated joint ventures between U.S. and Latin American companies to provide bilingual call and contact service centers as well as IT training utilizing cloud technology.
“I commend ITnova for tapping into the ever-increasing trend to move business services to the cloud,” said County Executive Laura Neuman. “[CEO and Founder Caroline] Cepeda’s bilingual capabilities and international experience add a new and exciting dimension to the business climate here in Anne Arundel County, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for ITnova.”
“We will continue to focus on developing cloud-based products which serve the needs of our diverse clientele and are currently working on a new product for cybersecurity,” said ITnova CEO and Founder Carolina Cepeda. “Being a resident member at the CIC will give us more networking opportunities with local cyber companies and provide educational assistance and guidance when applying for additional funding.”
State Names Annapolis Among Sustainable Communities
Annapolis Mayor Mike Pantelides announced that Annapolis is one of 17 Maryland communities that recently were added to the list of Maryland’s Sustainable Communities, joining the statewide initiative to strengthen reinvestment and revitalization in Maryland’s older neighborhoods.
Sustainable Communities seek to conserve resources, provide green spaces and parks for recreation and agriculture, and conserve historical and cultural resources. They are communities that have developed a comprehensive plan to bring public and private investments together to increase affordable housing opportunities and transit-oriented development.
Gov. Martin O’Malley’s Smart Growth subcabinet has approved 55 Sustainable Communities under Maryland’s Sustainable Communities Act of 2010. Maryland’s newest Sustainable Communities also include two other locales in Anne Arundel County, Brooklyn Park and Glen Burnie, with most of the others located in Western Maryland or on the Eastern Shore.
The City of Annapolis will use the Sustainable Community designation to work with various partners to advance goals of improving walkability of the City Dock and Eastport areas, reducing carbon emissions, mitigating storm water runoff, expanding workforce opportunities and preserving affordable housing. For a full listing of all the designated communities, go to http://bit.ly/19dRvXD
TEDCO Boosts 13 Maryland Tech Startups
For more than a dozen Maryland technology startups, dreams of expansion and development are becoming a reality with the help of awards from the state-sponsored, Columbia-based Maryland Technology Development Corp. (TEDCO).
TEDCO has announced that 13 startups received total funding of $1.3 million, or $100,000 each, between July 2013 and January 2014, through the organization’s Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF). The companies range from i-Lighting, an InvestMaryland Challenge winner and lighting system innovator, to Graftworx, a high tech medical device developer.
“The Technology Commercialization Fund is a core TEDCO program that makes critical early-stage funding available to promising companies in Maryland,” Rob Rosenbaum, president and executive director of TEDCO, said. “The diversity in technology and industry that spans our TCF portfolio is impressive, and TEDCO is energized and optimistic about the promise of these 13 companies.”
TEDCO released a list of winning companies and descriptions, which includes SurveySnap, of Columbia, which develops software for architecture, engineering and construction industry professionals that do site-surveys, building assessments and job estimating.
Annapolis Parking Meter Rate Lowered to $1 per Hour
Citing “the need to stimulate economic activity during months that historically have a lower demand for parking,” Mayor Mike Pantelides said that all Annapolis parking meter rates have been lowered from $2 to $1 an hour through the end of March.
“This short-term change to the rates will allow us to better evaluate short-term downtown parking and the needs of our local businesses. This is all part of our overall market pricing strategy, keeping the pricing in line with supply and demand,” said Pantelides.
The city understands there may be a possible loss in revenue during this trial period, involving its 384 meters, but is also aware that lowering the parking meter rates to $1 an hour may, in turn, increase meter use.
“Supporting local business and working to create a favorable experience for locals and visitors when doing business in Annapolis is a priority of mine,” Ward One Alderman Joe Budge said. “We studied data from Jan. 1 through the end of March, which indicates a 26% drop in meter usage compared to other months of the year. It’s worth seeing if the lower rates will increase meter usage, supporting turnover in parking spots for local businesses.”
Peak-Catalyst Now Known as Movilitas Consulting
Peak-Catalyst, of Columbia, has changed its name to Movilitas Consulting. The name change unifies the SAP supply chain and logistics execution expertise of Peak-Catalyst with the pioneering skills in SAP Track & Trace and standard-setting mobility solutions of Movilitas Consulting.
The result creates an SAP consulting practice, providing end-to-end supply chain, track and trace and mobility solutions on an international basis under a new flagship name.
“With the launch of the new Movilitas Consulting name now complete, we have created an international SAP consulting practice with a broader footprint, expanded SAP solutions portfolio, deeper experience and an extensive customer reference base. These enhanced capabilities will help our SAP customers take their supply chain and field-based workforce operations to new levels of productivity and efficiency,” said Ross Young, president and CEO, Movilitas Consulting.
DocPoint Solutions Partners With CipherPoint Software
Fulton-based DocPoint Solutions, an affiliate organization of Quality Associates Inc. that specializes in servicing and support of Microsoft SharePoint and its integrated suite of products, has established a reseller partnership with CipherPoint Software, a data security provider for on-premises and cloud file sharing and collaboration systems.
Through this partnership, DocPoint is authorized to sell, deploy and support CipherPoint’s data encryption suite, CipherPoint Eclipse. Now available on DocPoint’s GSA Schedule 70, CipherPoint Eclipse secures data across file servers, on-premises SharePoint, SharePoint Online/Office365 and other cloud collaboration systems from a central data security console.
Howard County’s Robinson Nature Center Offering Oyster Shell Recycling
The Howard County’s Department of Recreation & Parks’ Robinson Nature Center has joined forces with the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) in a recycling effort geared towards rejuvenating oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay – with the help of county residents.
County residents now have the ability to drop off old oyster shells at a bin located at the far end of Robinson Nature Center’s parking lot. The collected shells will be transported to the Horn Point Laboratory Oyster Hatchery in Cambridge, where they will be treated and used to help young oysters grow to maturity.
At Robinson, the bin is marked with ORP recycling signs and is accessible during the center’s regular operating hours, which are Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. When the bins are full, ORP staff will collect the oyster shells and transport them to Horn Point Laboratory Oyster Hatchery. Once there, the oyster shells are exposed to the natural elements for an extended period of time, cleaned and then reseeded with oyster larvae. The seeded shells are then planted by ORP in select, target areas in the Bay.
ORP has also partnered with a number of restaurants in the region, and through this collaboration has thus planted 4.73 billion oysters and recycled 1,200 tons of oyster shells. To learn more about the ORP and the Horn Point Laboratory Oyster Hatchery, visit www.oysterrecovery.org or http://hatchery.hpl.umces.edu
Howard County Tourism Promotes Winter Restaurant Weeks
Howard County Tourism & Promotion (HCT) has invited area residents to dine locally with its promotion, Winter Restaurant Weeks, which end Monday, Jan. 27.
Howard County’s top chefs are serving up savings and local dining experiences with a romantic twist, perfect for date nights. With 20-plus participating restaurants, locals and tourists alike will appreciate a chance to visit their favorite restaurants and try new ones, all at great new 2014 prices.
Diners can indulge in the best locally-owned and operated French, Italian, Latin, Asian, eclectic and continental cuisine and upscale English pub fare at prix fixe chef’s menus from $10.14 to $40.14 (beverages, tax, gratuity not included; promotions and menus vary).
Participating restaurants include AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar,Ale House Columbia,Alexandra’s American Fusion,Baldwin’s Station,Bistro Blanc,Café de Paris,Drover’s Grill & Wine Co.,Elkridge Furnace Inn,Gadsby’s Bar American,Grille 620,Kelsey’s Restaurant,Portalli’s,Rams Head Tavern,Ranazul: Tapas.Wine.Bistro,Stella Notte,Tersiguel’s French Country Restaurant,The Diamondback Tavern,The Iron Bridge Wine Co.,The Kings Contrivance Restaurant,The Melting Pot andVictoria Gastro Pub.For more information and menus, visit www.visithowardcounty.com
AACC President Lindsey to Address the Partnership
Dawn Lindsay, president of Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), will be the featured speaker at the BWI Business Partnership’s January Signature Breakfast. The breakfast will be held Wednesday, Jan. 29, from 7:45 to 9:15 a.m. at the Westin Baltimore Washington Airport Hotel, 1110 Old Elkridge Landing Road, in Linthicum.
Advance registration for the breakfast is required by Friday, Jan. 24. Partnership members can attend at no charge or $30, depending on membership level. Space permitting, non-members may attend for $50. To register, go to www.bwipartner.org and click on the Event Registration button or call 410-859-1000.
MakingChange Provides Free Income Tax Preparation
A local nonprofit organization, MakingChange, is participating in the IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and is providing free tax filing assistance to qualified residents in the community Jan. 29 to April 13. Eligible taxpayers receive free tax return assistance and electronic filing. The income limit for the 2013 tax year is $52,000.
Taxpayers who visit a VITA site should bring wage and earnings statements (Form W-2) from all employers, interest statements from banks (Forms 1099), a copy of their previous year’s tax return if available, and other relevant information about income and expenses.
Assistance is available at The Multiservice Center, 9900 Washington Boulevard (Route 1), in Laurel, Mondays and Wednesdays, from 4-8 p.m., and Saturdays, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Appointments are recommended and can be made online at http://bit.ly/MakingChangeVITA or by calling 410-880-5917.
In addition, MakingChange is seeking volunteers to serve as tax preparers, quality reviewers, greeters and office staff. To learn more, visit www.makingchangecenter.org/join-us/volunteer/tax-volunteers/ or contact VITA site coordinator Jeffrey Clark at 410-313-0386 or vita@makingchangecenter.org.
Howard BOE to Hold Public Hearing on FY ’15 Operating Budget on Jan. 30
The public will have an opportunity for input on the superintendent of education’s proposed fiscal 2015 operating budget during a public hearing of the Howard County Board of Education. The hearing will take place at 7 p.m., on Thursday, Jan. 30, in the Board Room at the Department of Education, 10910 Clarksville Pike, in Ellicott City.
Individuals who wish to testify at the hearing are asked to limit their presentation to three minutes and to provide 15 written copies of their testimony at the time of the hearing. Pre-registration will take place during business hours during the three weeks prior to the hearing, up to the close of business on the last working day before the hearing. To sign up to testify at the hearing, contact the board’s office at 410-313-7194.
Howard County Executive Ulman’s Final Address on the State of the County
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman will deliver his eighth and final State of the County Address to the business community on Thursday, March 20, at Turf Valley in Ellicott City. The speech will be part of a luncheon presented by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce; the event will begin with networking at 11 a.m.
Each year, the county executive is welcomed by the chamber to discuss the county government’s activities and outline his plans for the community. The audience will include several hundred business and community leaders. Ticket prices for chamber members are $55 in advance or $60 at the door. Future members can purchase tickets for $70, including at the door as space is available.
From MarylandReporter.com …
At the first mile-marker in the money race for the 2014 campaign:
Money can’t buy you love, but in campaigns, it can buy you lots of other things: attention, status, respect, advertising, mailers, staff and headlines. The candidates with the most money don’t always win. But they win most of the time since they often happen to be incumbents. An incumbent in any office with solid money in the bank, high name recognition and low negatives will win. Read more: http://marylandreporter.com/category/news/#ixzz2quiozTKw
Unions, pension board unhappy O’Malley cut $100M in promised payment to retirement fund:
The largest unions representing state workers and public school teachers are upset at Gov. Martin O’Malley’s decision to permanently cut $100 million from extra payments into the state pension system. The money came from additional employee salary deductions required by a 2011 pension reform and was intended to help cure underfunding in the pension system. Read more: http://marylandreporter.com/category/news/#ixzz2qujKvAWx
Elections chief ruled on governor’s race fundraising without board approval and with little legal advice:
The Maryland State Board of Elections never approved an official ruling that allows Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, running for lieutenant governor with current Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, to raise money during the legislative session even though Attorney General Douglas Gansler and his running mate Del. Jolene Ivey cannot. Read more: http://marylandreporter.com/category/news/#ixzz2qujd68mW
MarylandReporter.com is a news site for government and politics in Maryland that is published and edited by Len Lazarick. For more information or to sign up for the daily e-news, go to www.marylandreporter.com